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She felt the urge to relax under his touch, but she fought this back when the guilt flooded her.This is not right!It might have felt as if it was. Her mind might have gone to places she was determined for it not to. But deep down she knew that nothing about this was proper, a fear she’d had since she was a girl, coming to life in real time and proving herself to be a liar.

Panic flooded her as she remembered an incident she’d had when she was just a little girl, involving a romantic story she had read... although it wasn’t so much romantic as it was scandalous. Descriptions given in the story which had made her flush, which had excited her! Only for her mother to stumble upon her in that moment and remind her of how wrong these stories were. And why.

“You are a lady!”her mother had shouted. “And this is filth! Not real life! Not what is expected of a wife and husband! You ought to know better!”

Caroline’s eyes flashed open, and she went to push the duke away, guilt swarming her because she felt as if she was doing something wrong. Only by then, there was no need.

“Done.” He stood suddenly and she lurched forward.

“Wh—what?”

“It will do for now.” He walked across the room, his naked back to her. “When we arrive tomorrow, I suggest you get it cleaned properly. I will make sure to alert the staff.”

“I...” Caroline studied the duke, his back still to her, his breathing labored and his body trembling. She could not see his face, but she could imagine it. Not angry, as was the norm. No... there was something else there now. “Thank you,” she offered. “Truly, that was very kind of you.”

The duke’s body turned rigid at the compliment. She froze, feeling that she had said the wrong thing, certain he was going to snap at her. Silence grew between them, her heart beating with such force she was sure he could hear it. But still she said nothing, wondering what he would say, what he was thinking, and, most importantly, what he would do...

“It is time we retire.” He turned on the spot and stormed to the other side of the bed.

“Wh—what?” she stammered.

He sat down and the bed shook. “I will see you in the morning.” He kicked his legs up, rolled onto the bed, pulled the sheets over him, and then turned his back on her fully.

Caroline sat there stupidly for a moment, unsure of what had just happened, wondering if it was all in her head.No... it cannot have been. There was a moment there, I am sure of it, so subtle and quick that I nearly missed it. But if I did not know any better, I might have said that the duke... that he...She gave her head a shake, not daring to go there. Not wanting to, on account of the guilt.

The duke was called the Cruel Duke for good reason, and despite this one act of kindness, that wasn’t going to change. She eyed his hulking frame on the bed, curled her lip as she remembered how he had treated her all day, and then she stood up, walked over to extinguish the candles that burned in the torches, felt her way back to the bed, lay herself down as far from the duke as she could, and closed her eyes.

Sleep came immediately.

* * *

When Caroline came to, she felt... strangely comfortable. With her eyes still closed, and consciousness slow to arrive, she couldn’t remember where she was or what had happened to bring her there. All she knew in those few seconds was how cozy her bed felt, how warm it was, howrightthe world seemed in the moment. She let forth a low moan, her eyes fluttering a little, her mind pulling her awake when she wished it would give her a few seconds more.

Slowly, she came to recognize that the reason she felt so comfortable was because of the pillow she had wrapped herself around in the middle of the night. It was large and firm, somehow also soft, protective and comforting and she squeezed it a little bit tighter...

“Sleep well?” a deep voice growled in her ear.

Her heart stopped beating and she caught her breath. With her eyes still closed, the pillow that she was holding shifted in her grip.Oh no...

“Not that I require a response,” the deep voice said. “I can figure the answer out well enough for myself.”

She snapped her eyes open and gasped to see a face mere inches from her own. Deep green eyes. A heavy brow. Full lips from which a warm breath traced her skin and filled her nose in a way that made her shudder... that was until she lurched back in shock.

“Oh no!” Caroline had been wrapped around the duke like a vine around a tree. Legs and arms holding him close, refusing to let go, demanding that he hold her too. She scrambled back and nearly fell from the bed.

“I misspoke yesterday.” The duke, apparently undisturbed by both the way she had been holding him, and her hastened retreat, sat himself up and looked at her plainly. His hair was messy, his hairy chest on display, as were those broad shoulders and arms as thick as her thighs.

“Wh—what?” she stammered, unsure of what to say or what to make of the situation.

“Yesterday, when I likened you to a stray dog.” He continued to gaze at her with total self-control, as emotionless as if he was asking her with what she wished to break her fast. “It occurs to me now that perhaps you have more in common with a monkey, the way you clung to me last night.”

He did not smirk, but she could see the humor in his eyes.For one so dispassionate, he seems to take a sick pleasure from trying to upset me. All things considered, that really is the least of my problems.

“I was not... that was not what you... I was sleeping!”

“I have known men to keep monkeys as pets. Not my personal preference, but for you I might make an exception.”

The initial embarrassment fled her, and was replaced with anger—an emotion she was becoming used to around the duke. “How dare?—”